Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-10
DAILY HERALD.
THAT GOLD BRICK.
y. =. snermnm Tells How ne Lost
oITOO.

OktVVe
The examination of G. B. Simpson on
charge Of obtaining money under false
pretsnses came up before Justice Austin
yesterday afternoon. The first witness
vas l. 8. sherman. who testified that be
ssput $500 in gold brick and he
mt in some and we lost it.. Simpson
had told sherman that . man named
monte Pete" had q told brick worth
Sl5. 600, which they could buy tor
suaIl amount apiece. He proposed tnat
thew should go in, and they did, and
lost. THIS happened in last September,
IN Simpsons grocery store, on the corner
Of Fourth and Fort streets, over whlcn
Shermsn lived. Simpson did not say ne
hed eeen the brick, but he knew OF
..Monte Pete" He said "Monte" was
from Mexico, and Sherman objected to
soine into the scheme at first, because
50 didn't like the idea. 1t looked
strauQe to him that man should have
such an amount in gold, but Simpson
eaid the man was ''broke" and did not
Ike to ..show up" in town.
Thev drove down to this end of the
Aliso.street bridge in Simpsons delivery
wagon, and arrived there about 8 O'Clock
= the vening. When they reached
Hhars >. 70 onts Pete" was sitting at the
foos Of the electric light tower. Monte
Poe" stated that he had the brick and
had brought 1t from Mexico. He want.
ed to get away from this city and didn't
like to show himself. 30 he would sell 1t
for S4OOO "Monte Pete" had his coat
buttoned up over his neck and hand
kerchief about his neck SO that Sherman
eould not tell what he looked like, but
he talked like Mexican. They talked
together for ten minutes, when 1t was
agreed that they should meet again the
next night and make test OF the BRICK.
Simpson and Sherman then drove back
TO the store and arranged to bore the
brick. The witness stated that he could
not tell more particularly ABOUT 1t, be-
cause it happened six months ago and 1t
was q part Of his life he didn't take par.
ticular pains to remember.
Tue next night they met at the store
and drove to the bridge as before.
ssMonte Pete" sat in the same place as
before. but said he had the brick ON the
other side of the river, so they drove
into the bed and across where "Monte"
had the brick lying wrapped up in the
bushes. Sherman put the brick on
Newspaper and took bit and brace
which Simpson had brought ahd drilled
in three or four places. "Monte"
kept watch or guard with
gun in his hand while the
boring was done. Just as Sherman
finished thought he beard some one
coming, and told him to throw the brick
in the brushes, which he did after put.
ting it in sack. While he was putting
it in the pushes Simpson gathered the
drillings. aud wrapping them in small
piece Of paper, gave them to Sherman.
They drove back to town, and the next
day they went to a jewellery store and
had tue ehavipgs tested. They were re-
ported to be eighteen or twenty Karat
gold. Sherman, the next day, drew
Sl7OO out of the bank and gave it to
Simpson, who was to put in $500, and
his partner, MIR. Zsigler, $500. The
money was in greenbacks. At night
they went to the bridge but "Pete" was
not there. Simpson found him on the
other side of the bridge, and brought
him to the wagon and paid him the
money, and after Sherman had unwrap-
ned the brick it was placed in the bed
Of the wagon in sack. The money
was in two packages. aud Sherman saw
Simpson give Pete" both, but "Mon'e"
did not count it. They drove back to the
grocery, where Sherman tapped the
brick with batchet and it sounded very
brassy. He then took it out and cut
off Q corner, which they tested with
scid, and found it nothing but
N alloy. It was different from the
brick he had exsmined at first,
althought it weighed about the
same. The top surface was rougher
than the brick he bored. He was sure
there was no gold in it, and they sgreed
that Z.igler should throwethe brick in
the river or bury it. He went to bed
$l7OO poorer than he was the day be-
fore, aud would sooner lost another like
amount than testify in the court. He
never saw the brick again, nor did he
sleep that night. He was shown the
brick which was used in the Huyett
case, but said it was not the same shape.
He hal been friendly with Simpson ever
since, for he considered that Simpson
had Lost by the transaction. Simpson
had failed shortly after, and Sherman
thought it was due to the loss of the
$1,000. There had been debt of S400
which could not be paid, and had to be
taken out in the goods OF the store. This
had caused the failure, in Sherman's
opinion.
J. w. Francis, the next witness,
commenced to tell about an offer made
by Simpson last January to buy brick,
but objections being made as to the ad-
instability of the testimony, argument
continued until o'clock, when the
Court adjourned until this morning.